


Hanami

by clockworkArrows



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:56:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5902873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkArrows/pseuds/clockworkArrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seemed like the only time they saw each other nowadays was during clandestine meetings in the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hanami

**Author's Note:**

> Found this excerpt strewn in my documents folder and I decided to finally finish it after...three years? It's part of an old, unnamed AU which I only now half remember and this was a side-plot/side story as the original AU focused on a different set of characters.

Toraki could smell him long before he spoke, the mixed scent of leather, steel, and that bitter drink he was so fond of was too distinctive to be anyone else.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

He gave a grunt of acknowledgement, never moving from where he was currently leaning on the balustrade. Well, he’d hoped he wouldn’t. Toraki’s gaze remained fixed upon the canopy of the forest. The treetops seemed to shine a blazing silver under the light of the full moon and so did the cherry trees in the courtyard below. It was beautiful, it’s why he’d come here. But why did he have to be drawn so obviously to this spot...

“It’s a nice night,” he said. “Why are you here, Deniz.”

It wasn’t a question, and there was a tinge of a warning in his words. The steady weight of Deniz’s gaze on the back of his head pressed against him, heavy and incessant. No reply. Perhaps he’d leave? _No way._ Cloth rustled, rough cotton on leather, and the sound of quiet footsteps made Toraki’s left ear twitch ever so slightly, then the human was also leaning on the balustrade. Toraki scowled.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No I haven’t.” If his reply sounded somewhat petulant, Deniz pretended not to notice. He shuffled his feet slightly. “I’ve been busy.”

“Not too busy to wander about the city playing tricks, though.”

“Who’s to say that I didn’t just arrive with my prince and his friend?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Toraki saw Deniz momentarily glance at him before turning back to the trees, “The other day in the city.”

His mouth twitched in a small, fleeting smirk before disappearing. He knew he should have left him well alone back then but, he hadn’t been able to resist. “Oh, you noticed me?”

“You’re hard not to notice.”

“Heh.”

Out of habit, maybe nervous habit, he pulled out his pipe from the inner pocket of his long coat. He brushed his thumb against branches of cherry blossoms etched into the metal tips before gently grasping the cherry wood, fingers falling into position upon the stem with the ease of a flautist with his flute as he lifted it to his mouth. Teeth played gently with the bite marks that marred the metal mouthpiece —he needed to replace that— before coming to a rest. Toraki blew into his pipe, feeling the dark, rich wood warm slightly against the tips of his fingers as clear wisps of cherry-blossom-scented air forcefully left the pipe before subsiding.

He inhaled, holding in the heated air for a few moments before moving his pipe away. Exhale. It billowed out lazily as dragon smoke.

Deniz wrinkled his nose. “You reek of cherry blossoms.”

Toraki snorted. “You never complained before,” he said, putting the pipe back to his mouth. Deniz had been watching him since he’d pulled it out of his coat. Had he been looking at him or the pipe? He wasn’t sure which.

“Well it doesn’t help that the trees are in bloom right now so you smell twice as much as you usually do,” Deniz said, grinning as the shorter man laughed.

“Are you saying I stink?”

“A bath would certainly do you some good.”

Toraki punched him, albeit not as roughly as he would punch someone else, smiling as he did so. Snarky as always. “They’re lovely this year.”

They are,” Deniz agreed. He hummed and the two looked at one another for another moment before laughing, the tension between them broken.

Relaxing, Toraki glanced back out at the white and pink blossoms swaying in the wind. Another long drag of cherry-blossom-scented air dissipated into the night air. He remembered the last time they’d watched the flowers like this. Back then, Deniz had said he smelled like them too. When was the last time they’d seen each other? Far too long. Much too long.

“You could stay,” Deniz whispered and Toraki felt his heart twinge. He turned his head and the hopeful sadness in the human’s eyes turned that twinge into a clenching ache. _Oh, Den…_

He’d grown, Toraki thought, since the last time he’d seen him. Gone was the twiggy, fledgling rogue who’s eyes were cold and hard from the unspoken cruelties of the world. Now, he stood tall with inner strength, tested and tempered from years of combat and service. Deniz was relaxed, confident in a way that Toraki didn’t remember him being. Even his armour seemed to suit him. It was no longer ill-fitting, and he was no longer awkwardly too small for it, the leather clinging to his lithe frame in spots that made it hard for Toraki not to stare. Truly, he had grown into a fine Guildmaster.

Toraki longed to move forward, to put a hand on his cheek and softly brush back the long strands of his hair —it had grown longer than he realised— but he only shook his head. “You know I can’t do that,” he said as he looked down at the marble floor, unable to keep his gaze. _Coward_. “Not now. Not when there are things to do. And—”

“And you love travelling too much to stop. I know,” Deniz finished. Toraki looked up. The corners of his mouth were drawn up in a small smile, but Toraki could still see he was disappointed. Once again, he was unable to give him the answer he wanted.

He took the pipe out of his mouth and tilted his head, giving him a soft smile. Their hands, which had grown quite close by now upon the balustrade, gently bumped against one another. Toraki gently brushed the side of his hand with his pinky. “You could come with me, you know.”

Deniz hesitated, and for a moment Toraki swore he saw yearning flash in his eyes but then he shook his head. “You know I can’t do that, I—”

“You love protecting this kingdom too much to just leave, I know,” Toraki finished.

He got a small smile, and felt the brush of Deniz’s pinky against his own, in reply.

“Den, I—”

Toraki stopped as Deniz suddenly glanced off to the side. He followed his gaze, slightly irate, and his eyes landed on that scruffy-haired friend of his prince standing a few meters away watching the two of them, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. What was his name again? Bran? Owen? Toraki couldn’t quite remember. Deniz glanced at Toraki and then tilted his head, mimicking the motion Toraki always did.

_‘We’ll talk more later.'_

Toraki gave a short nod.

He watched as Deniz walked away, stopping momentarily by the boy to tell him that he shouldn’t wander around the palace so late at night; things might...happen. Then he disappeared down the dark halls leaving Toraki alone with the boy whose name he couldn’t remember. When the two could no longer hear Deniz’s footsteps, the boy fidgeted slightly where he stood, looking at Toraki as he twisted the hem of his shirt in his hands.

Toraki narrowed his eyes.

The boy clenched his shirt harder. Toraki struggled not to smirk at the flicker of amusement that ran through him.

“How much did you hear.”

The boy squeaked. _Squeaked_. Toraki was pretty sure he saw his legs shaking too. “N-Not much, sir. I um...I just turned the corner a-and…” He looked close to hyperventilating.

“Good.” Toraki stuffed his pipe back into his robe before he started walking for the entrance to the balcony. He stopped as he reached the boy.

“Don’t wander around.”

“Y-Yes sir!”

Toraki held the boy’s gaze for a few seconds longer —for good measure— then stalked past him into the creeping dark of the palace halls. He turned down the same hallway that Deniz had gone down. They would talk later, after all.


End file.
